Members save 50% on E-learning courses from WorkInCulture. One of the six courses available is Partnership and Collaboration—Create your dream team! Working together is a skill, and by helping you understand the essentials of successful collaboration, this course will help your next collaboration run smoothly.

Tuesday, 30 August 2016

I was active in the Drama Club during my high school years in Timmins, Ontario and was passionate about acting—especially dramatic plays. For a long time, I lived out my desire to act through storytelling and hooking kids on 'great stories' that they could identify with and relate to in some personal way.

Recently, I retired from a long career in education that took me to many exotic places in the world and expanded my experience of the many different ways to be in the world. Retired and living in Florida for a few winter months, I found Actors' Studio and Improv Groups that whetted my appetite and by accident, I found myself playing the role of Blaze in The Fat Man Sacrifice directed by Dr. Peter Irwin. Needless to say, I was hooked once again.

Since returning home, I have been looking for resources and workshops in Ontario to hone my skills and grow my craft. I find it to be an exciting way to continue the learning and the growing. Enter Theatre Ontario!

Everything You Always Wanted to Know AboutActing... and then some! with Tom Diamond

It was a privilege for me to spend a whole week at Trent University in Peterborough learning from a master like Tom Diamond. Through improv exercises and team-building activities, he created a safe environment where I could step out of my comfort zone and hone my craft/toolbox as an actor. I valued his feedback and his ability to hone in on the areas that needed work. We also did partnered scene work where I was totally impressed and amazed by his ability to identify how to move us to an authentic place to fulfill a role. It is still difficult for me to grasp the depth to which he led us—a truly gifted director, a rare find and I am grateful to have spent the time with him at Trent!

Tom also helped to create "team spirit" in the group, where we could work in a way that was fun and playful! I feel like I now have another family in the acting community. This intensive far exceeded my expectations and I am thankful for the experience. Wow! Keep up the great work, Theatre Ontario!

Friday, 26 August 2016

Conversation Starters

Peter Fernandes and Dion Johnstone in Soulpepper Theatre'sproduction of Father Comes Home from the Wars.Photo by Cylla von Tiedemann

“Arts education is so much more than securing the ‘audiences of tomorrow’” – part of a smart intermission post by Rob Kempson, Associate Artistic Director of Thousands Islands Playhouse, about the value of arts education.

Behind the Scenes at Ontario’s Theatres

Drayton Entertainment has announced that Nathan Carroll will be playing the role of Terry Fox in their world premiere production of Marathon of Hope: The Musical. It’s interesting to read about the diversity of Nathan’s acting career, which took him from community theatres like Simcoe Little Theatre and youth theatre training programs like Theatre Aquarius’ Performing Arts Program to post-secondary conservatory training at George Brown Theatre School to professional performances with diverse theatres like Blyth Festival (Ontario Summer Theatre), Young People’s Theatre (TYA), Mirvish Productions (commercial), and Red One Theatre Collective (indie.)

Thursday, 25 August 2016

Theatre Ontario is thrilled to welcome Annette G. Procunier as adjudicator for Theatre Ontario Festival 2017 in Ottawa. Annette most recently adjudicated the Eastern Ontario Drama League Festival in 2016, and last adjudicated Theatre Ontario Festival in 2012 in Sault Ste Marie.

Annette has worked in community, educational and professional theatre for over 45 years. She is a director, stage manager, play polisher, adjudicator and workshop leader. As an adjudicator Annette has participated in festivals in Europe, Canada, Japan and the United States having judged more than 125 festivals in 30 years. She has adjudicated the world theatre festival in Monaco for IATA and the national festival for the American Association of Community Theatre four times. No other adjudicator has been invited more than once. She is the author of the only book on adjudication Do You See What I See? and is a fellow of AACT—this honor was bestowed for “single-handedly raising the level of community theatre in America.” She is the only non-American to hold the distinction.

Theatre Ontario Festival 2017 will be held in Ottawa from May 17 to 21, 2017 and is co-hosted by Theatre Ontario, Ottawa Little Theatre, and the Eastern Ontario Drama League.

Seeking financial support for programs that deliver accessible training to young people, led by professional theatre artist? Apply for our Youth Theatre Training Program grants. The application deadline is October 17.

Members save 50% on E-learning courses from WorkInCulture. One of the six courses available is Partnership and Collaboration—Create your dream team! Working together is a skill, and by helping you understand the essentials of successful collaboration, this course will help your next collaboration run smoothly.

Members save 50% on E-learning courses from WorkInCulture. One of the six courses available is Partnership and Collaboration—Create your dream team! Working together is a skill, and by helping you understand the essentials of successful collaboration, this course will help your next collaboration run smoothly.

Upcoming on The Bulletin Board

Register to apply for Ontario Trillium Foundation Seed Grants by today to ensure review of your eligibility by the September 14 deadline.

New on The Bulletin Board

Acting Up Stage Company invites submissions for the Syd and Shirley Banks Prize for Emerging Musical Theatre Artists. The prize includes a cash prize, mentorship, and performance opportunities. Submissions are due by August 29.

Canadian Stage invites submissions for their RBC Emerging Artist Programs of Company in Residence (for independent theatre companies) and Director Development Residency (for stage directors with at least three years experience.) Submissions are due by September 5.

Tuesday, 16 August 2016

The Theatre Ontario Talent Bank of Instructors is a program to match organizations (particularly community theatres and educational organizations) with professional theatre teachers and trainers for workshops, adjudications, and short-term consulting contracts.

We are pleased to welcome the newest addition to our Talent Bank for 2016.

Ian Burns (Instructor of Set Design)

Ian Burns is an award-winning set designer who brings an artistic eye to his sets and workshops. From the farmhouse to the classroom, from a plane crash scene to a two story 360˚ rotating set within a set, Burns’ work has been praised for creating instantaneous recognition and establishment of location. A licensed carpenter, he teaches math and construction skills to post-secondary students in Ontario and workshop skills to high school students for theatrical productions. He developed his unique vision in the early stages of his career, mentoring as a scenic artist, and later, as a boat builder. Now, as a mentor himself, his philosophy includes an appreciation for cohesive lines and rich colour palettes that always serve the play and never distract from it.

Chris Di Staulo (Instructor of Acting and Directing Drama)

Chris Di Staulo is an award-winning director and teacher. Chris has established himself as one of the most exciting directors in the industry. He is known for his focused and intricate work with actors, beautiful cinematography and original narrative work. Chris is a natural-born storyteller, and this is reflected in his internationally distributed films. His unique vision and innovative style have led to awards in film direction at the Cannes International Film Festival, Las Vegas Film Festival, National Screen Institute, Toronto Film Challenge, and many more. His plays have received performances and readings in Los Angeles, Toronto and more.

Zaffi Green (Instructor of Children’s Theatre)

As performance poet and storyteller, Zaffi featured in numerous arts festivals, reading series and benefit concerts throughout Canada and the US. She took up the interdisciplinary tradition soon after the publication of her first chapbook, The Playing Field, fusing words with music, visual arts, video, and creative movement. She published one book of poetry, The Bride of Inglish, a CD recording, The Queen’s Incurable Inglish, and three performance art videos screened in film festivals and television. As an educator she designs arts-based programs for children, youth and adults. She often uses drama structures to foster literacy skills across the curriculum, to nurture creative and critical thinking, and life skills. She creates in multiple forms including songs, character monologues, mini-plays, games, and narrative prose.

Anna Migliarisi (Instructor of Acting)

Born in Italy and raised in Toronto, Anna Migliarisi has worked professionally as an actor, producer, dramaturge and writer for over 25 years. She’s also an accomplished and experienced teacher and private acting coach. She’s a proud graduate of the School of Dramatic Art, University of Windsor and has an MA and PhD in Drama from the University of Toronto. Anna has been mentored by some wonderful people, including veteran Actors’ Studio members Janine Manatis and the late Gene Lasko. In addition, Anna has written books and articles on theatre, and is the recipient of Dora nominations and numerous grants and awards.

Douglas Rice (Instructor of Directing Opera and Voice)

Canadian Lyric Tenor, Douglas Rice, received his education and training from several prestigious institutions including England’s Britten-Pears School, Boston’s New England Conservatory, Hamburg and Cologne Hochschule fuer Musik as well as Sir Wilfrid Laurier University. Known for his role portrayals from the Handelian and Mozart operas, Doug’s versatility encompasses a vast array of operatic literature. Furthermore, his interpretive finesse in oratorio and concert repertoire embodies works by Bach to Beethoven and beyond. Mozart roles such as Tamino and Belmonte delineate his vocal flexibility and ease that he is praised for by press and public alike.

A passionate teacher and adjudicator, Rickers is a former Artistic Director of Gryphon Theatre, and alumnus of the Shaw Festival Directors Project. Directing credits include A Midsummer Night’s Dream with Motus O Dance Theatre, The Importance of Being Earnest with Gryphon Theatre and Venus of Dublin with Newer World Theatre. In 2005, she earned a M.A. with Distinction in Staging Shakespeare from The University of Exeter, during which she had the privilege of performing on the stage of the new Globe Theatre in London. In 2013, she completed a PhD in Drama, also at Exeter, She has adjudicated for ACT-CO, QUONTA, EODL, WODL, Sears Drama Festival, and Acting Irish International Theatre Festival, and taught in the adult and students streams at Theatre Ontario Summer Courses.

Andrea Runge (Instructor of Acting and Children's Theatre)

Andrea has been working as a professional actor and teacher in film,
television, and theatre for over 15 years. Currently based in Toronto,
she has worked in theatres across the country, including four seasons at
the Stratford Festival, Canadian Stage, Tarragon, Segal Centre,
Vancouver Playhouse, Theatre Aquarius, Lighthouse Festival Theatre, and
the Globe Theatre. Andrea most often teaches classes and workshops on Shakespeare,
acting for film & television, and all styles of auditions. She has
taught for the Stratford Festival, Pennsylvania State University, and
Persephone Theatre. She is currently an instructor at Armstrong Acting
Studios, Young People’s Theatre, and Shakespeare in Action. Andrea
received an MFA from Pennsylvania State University, a BFA from the
University of Regina, attended the Birmingham Conservatory for Classical
Theatre at the Stratford Festival, and completed a certificate course
for Arts Education for Artists through York University.

After graduating from York University with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree, Caroline Smith enjoyed a successful professional career as a freelance performer, choreographer, director and playwright before moving to Stirling, Ontario in 1996 to form the Stirling Festival Theatre. Under Caroline’s leadership as Artistic and Managing Director, the Stirling Festival won three Lieutenant Governor's Awards and numerous business achievement awards. Caroline was also presented with an honorary Arts degree from Loyalist College in 2001. A published playwright, Caroline's play The Kitchen Witches was the winner of the 2005 Samuel French Best Canadian Play Award. In 2009, Caroline formed her new company Moonpath Productions, which creates professional theatre events throughout Ontario. She also leads workshops in Play Development with Gaslight Tours in Collingwood and is a Guest Director at the Toronto Film School.

If you are interested in hiring an adjudicator or workshop leader from Theatre Ontario’s Talent Bank, you can browse our listings online and contact us to be connected with the right instructor for your needs.

Monday, 15 August 2016

ONstage Opening in Southwestern OntarioBunny at the Stratford FestivalMaev Beatty, David Patrick FlemmingPhoto by David Hou

This week’s openings on Ontario’s stages

In Southwestern Ontario

Aug. 18, Bunny at Stratford Festival, currently in previews
Aug. 18, The Hypochondriac at Stratford Festival, currently in previews
Aug. 18, The Birds and the Bees at Port Stanley Festival Theatre, with previews from Aug. 17
Aug. 18, Jonas & Barry in the Home at Lighthouse Festival Theatre (Port Dover), with previews from Aug. 17
Aug. 18, Unnecessary Farce at Drayton Entertainment: Dunfield Theatre Cambridge, with previews from Aug. 17
Aug. 19, The Aeneid at Stratford Festival, currently in previews
Aug. 19, John Gabriel Borkman at Stratford Festival, currently in previews
Aug. 19, Smokey Joe's Café at Drayton Entertainment: Drayton Festival Theatre, with previews from Aug. 17

ONstage Now Playing in TorontoFather Comes Home from the Wars at SoulpepperLisa Berry, Daren A. HerbertPhoto by Cylla von Tiedemann

In Eastern Ontario

Aug. 19, Bridge to Terabithia at Smiths Falls Community Theatre
Aug. 20, An Inspector Calls at Classic Theatre Festival (Perth), with previews from Aug. 19
Aug. 20, A Grand Time in the Rapids at Thousand Islands Playhouse (Gananoque), with a preview on Aug. 19

Migrations

In Case You Missed It

Stories from the Professional Theatre Training Program, featuring Gilda Monreal (will train in playwriting with Rosa Laborde at Criminal Theatre in Toronto) and Matthew Thomas Walker (trained in directing with Kim Collier at Bard on the Beach / Electric Company in Vancouver BC.)

I’m on holidays next Friday, but Ontario Off Stage will return on August 26.

Thursday, 11 August 2016

Does your organization want to undertake a unique youth training project, led by professional theatre artists? We are now inviting applications for the October 17, 2016 deadline for our Youth Theatre Training Program (YTTP).

YTTP offers financial support to programs anywhere in Ontario, led by professional theatre artists, which deliver accessible training to young people (age 14 to 21) in theatrical skills such as:

Members save 50% on E-learning courses from WorkInCulture. One of the six courses available is Partnership and Collaboration—Create your dream team! Working together is a skill, and by helping you understand the essentials of successful collaboration, this course will help your next collaboration run smoothly.

Upcoming on The Bulletin Board

Anne Marie Scheffler's One Person Show workshop is on August 13 and 14 in Toronto, while her 5-day One Person Show Incubator runs August 15 to 19 in Toronto.

Deadline to apply for Shakespeare Globe Centre of Canada’s Bluma Appel Mentorship Award for Directors, for directors interested in an advanced directing study placement at Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre in England is August 15.

Shadowland Theatre’s site décor and puppet creation workshops for the Ashkenaz Festival begin on August 15.

Master Performing's "The Psychology of Optimal Performance" workshop is on August 15 in Toronto.

Register to apply for Ontario Trillium Foundation Seed Grants by August 17 to ensure review of your eligibility by the September 14 deadline.

New on The Bulletin Board

Young People’s Theatre is holding Artist Educators training on September 15 and 16 in Toronto—the registration deadline is September 2.

Registrations are now open for the SPARC Symposium for Performing Arts in Rural Communities, running October 27 to 30 in Haliburton.

Our Professional Theatre Training Program (PTTP) offers financial support for unique and flexible training with a chosen mentor in any theatrical discipline (except performance.)

Matthew Thomas Walker trained in directing with Kim Collier at Bard on the Beach / Electric Company in Vancouver BC.

(July 13, 2016) A few weeks have now passed since Romeo and Juliet opened and I’ve been back in Toronto. I feel very grateful for the experience I’ve had mentoring with Kim and working with the greater community at Bard on the Beach. The show turned out beautifully and was very inspiring to take part in bringing to life. Having support from Theatre Ontario allowed me to dive fully into the work in a way that I wouldn’t have been able to otherwise.

Last summer, my impulse to seek Kim’s mentorship came from a readiness to widen my expectations as an artist. After just a few hours in studio with her during the Volcano Conservatory she’d already succeeded in pushing me to dream bigger, and left me with many questions about how she ignites this through her leadership.

Since starting to direct, I’ve taken pride in using the constraints presented to me as a positive force for creation. There is however, always a risk that constraints can lead you off the purpose of the art. Working with Kim was a great way to start testing the boundaries of my process. She achieves the impact that she does by pushing and expanding and making room for what she feels a project can achieve, while inspiring those around her to keep up and match her efforts. Her mission for the art drives all choices: how this piece of theatre can affect positive change within those who experience it. On occasions throughout the process when we’d run up against barriers that tempted the team to settle for more practical solutions, Kim would hold onto the ideal, return to her prep work and how that moment tied into the greater action of the show and argue for its purpose. And with that belief, we would push through until we solved it. It was very satisfying to take part in because it was driven by an agreed-upon purpose.

Pre-R&J warm-up at Bard on the Beach

This attitude has served her in both her creative work itself and her approach to the industry. On many occasions she spoke about going to the arts councils and boards, appealing for reform. What I learned from being a part of her process is that she’s been successful in this, not just because she pushes but because she pushes from an impulse of finding a ‘better’ for the greater whole, not just for herself. ‘Dreaming bigger’ will fail if the growth is driven by a selfish or empty need (more audience, more revenue, or more acclaim.) She is an idealist who is dreaming on all our behalf and pushing us to expect more, instead of settling for status quo practicality.

Another thing I loved about working with Kim is that discussions of work and life seemed to weave without division. In mentoring with her, I feel I learn as much about how to live as I learn about how to work. In early meetings, I shared with her that I would be getting married this summer. This started an ongoing conversation about love, and the act of standing with someone as you move through time. Analysis of scenes from Romeo and Juliet would spill over into our own personal histories and futures. In many ways I feel she prepared me as much for the future of my relationship as she has for my future as a director. Amidst the many challenges of a life in the arts, this is its greatest benefit. Our lives and our experiences are our currency.

Our Professional Theatre Training Program (PTTP) offers financial support for unique and flexible training with a chosen mentor in any theatrical discipline (except performance.)

Gilda Monreal will train in playwriting with Rosa Laborde at Criminal Theatre in Toronto.

Gilda MonrealPhoto by Jeremie Triplet

(July 6, 2016) I am excited and honoured to submerse myself in the mentorship of accomplished writer, actor and director Rosa Laborde at Criminal Theatre. Over these coming weeks I hope to gain practical experience which will help me to develop my storytelling and writing skills. Through various exercises, meetings, and creative exploration, we plan to develop my skills in script analysis, dramatic structure, character development and multi-storyline layering. In addition, I hope to analyze and refine the understanding of my personal process through academically structured exercises mixed with creative free-flow writing.

I feel Rosa Laborde has set a fierce example of strong playwriting and leadership in our national and regional theatre, and her mentorship will be a cornerstone in my career. In 2015, I had the opportunity to collaborate with Rosa on my new play-in-progress AYELEN at SummerWorks Festival. Her dramaturgical support allowed me to experience an innovative approach to creative storytelling, and I was able to observe and learn storytelling techniques that made playwriting more exciting and accessible than I had experienced before with dramaturges in Canada. This experience showed me that in a mentorship program with her, my creative voice will be encouraged to reach its potential without any external curating on her behalf. It is this recent experience with Rosa Laborde which has inspired me for the first time in years to return to theatre and writing in Canada. This is an important point for me, as I am searching to refine my creative voice with mentorship guidance, and not to imitate or mirror my mentor’s own creative voice. As her theatre company states: “We believe that the individual artist’s voice is unique and valuable to the growth of our cultural landscape.”

Her understanding of my traditional theatre training, multidisciplinary and visual arts approach, and multi-lingual expression (both of us are Canadian-Latina), is key to this apprenticing relationship. My journey as a multidisciplinary artist has brought me to have various creative experiences, and at this stage of my career I am confident in being able to bridge these disciplines into a unique form of storytelling. My objective now is to return to theatre with a focus on refining my playwriting skills. It is through the refinement of these fundamental skills that I envision bringing my distinctive visual and theatrical stories to life.

My work has been described by critics and colleagues as “operatic”, “magical”, “likes of Greek tragedy”, “poetic”, and therefore, as described in the proposed timeline, we will review and study elements of Greek tragedy to examine how these same elements are reflected in my own contemporary work. As Rosa has pointed it out, it will be exciting to analyze the effectiveness of poetic action, poetic structure and storyline through the classics and new translations of these classics. And lastly I will have the opportunity to write and develop my own work under her mentorship.

I look forward to working with Rosa Laborde, her guidance and mentorship will challenge me to develop my writing skills with a new analytical lens. I see this contributing to my new scripts in progress, in particular AYELEN, which shall be presented at a public reading after I conclude these weeks of mentorship. I also hope to contribute to Rosa Laborde’s Criminal Theatre company by demonstrating growth in the seeds her company will plant in my path. I am honoured and looking forward to being able to work on our proposed mentorship program. Thank you Theatre Ontario!

The next application deadline for the Professional Theatre Training Program is October 3, 2016.

Thursday, 4 August 2016

We invite you to take part in our inaugural Bowl-a-Thon in support of Theatre Ontario.

Our goal is to raise funds towards the production costs for our annual Next Generation Showcase, a premiere event where performing arts graduates audition for industry professionals. Show your support to the next generation of theatre artists and join us to help meet our $4,500 fundraising goal! Be a Sponsor. Provide an in-kind donation or contribution. Bowl with us!

Members save 50% on E-learning courses from WorkInCulture. One of the six courses available is Partnership and Collaboration—Create your dream team! Working together is a skill, and by helping you understand the essentials of successful collaboration, this course will help your next collaboration run smoothly.

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About Theatre Ontario

Serving Ontario's Theatre community since 1971, Theatre Ontario develops and supports theatre practitioners across the province, by providing resources, networking, training and advocacy. To access our services, become a member, or donate to support our work, visit the Theatre Ontario website